Ranchi: The Jharkhand Pradesh Congress Committee (JPCC) on Monday organised a protest march in Ranchi against the new law brought in to replace the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), alleging that the move would undermine rural employment security and weaken the rights of labourers.
Led by State Congress President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh, the march began at Bapu Vatika in the Morabadi area and concluded at Lok Bhavan. Prior to the march, Congress leaders and workers paid floral tributes to Mahatma Gandhi’s statue and pledged to continue their agitation against the proposed changes to the MGNREGA framework.
Addressing the gathering, State Congress in-charge K. Raju said the UPA government had ensured a legal guarantee of 100 days of employment for rural households under MGNREGA, with Gram Panchayats empowered to select and implement works. He said this decentralised structure strengthened grassroots development and provided economic security to millions of poor families.
Raju recalled that during the Covid-19 pandemic, when large numbers of migrant workers returned to their villages, MGNREGA acted as a crucial lifeline. He alleged that under the new law, the Centre would take over the selection of schemes, thereby curtailing labourers’ rights, and introduce a contract-based system that runs contrary to the spirit of MGNREGA.
State Congress President Keshav Mahto Kamlesh claimed that while the MGNREGA budget was consistently increased during the UPA regime, allocations have been reduced under the BJP-led government. He further alleged that changes in the Centre–state funding ratio would increase the financial burden on states. He also criticised the proposed restriction on work for two months in a year, warning that it would harm the rural economy and discriminate against states not ruled by the BJP.
Legislature party leader Pradeep Yadav accused the Centre of systematically diluting pro-people legislations, while deputy leader Rajesh Kachhap said MGNREGA was enacted to strengthen the rural economy and curb distress migration.
MP Sukhdev Bhagat termed the change in the name and structure of MGNREGA an attack on Gandhian ideology. Finance Minister Radha Krishna Kishore said that with over 12 crore registered MGNREGA workers across the country, a much higher budget would be required to ensure 125 days of employment, adding that the current allocation was inadequate.
Health Minister Irfan Ansari, Rural Development Minister Deepika Pandey Singh, and Agriculture Minister Shilpi Neha Tirkey also opposed the changes, describing MGNREGA as a vital scheme for rural development and for preventing migration.
The programme was conducted by JPCC working president Shahzada Anwar, while Mahila Congress president Rama Khalkho delivered the vote of thanks. A large number of Congress workers and MGNREGA labourers participated in the protest march.
With inputs from IANS